Launching Pooja’s Library & Book Tour: Planning Our First Artist Talk
Hello, friends of Pooja and new adventures!
Tomorrow, March 10, marks our first planning meeting for my debut artist talk—tied to a scheduled reading at Lincoln Parish Library in Ruston on May 28. I’ve stood before hundreds of college students at Louisiana Tech, lecturing for hours, but this? This is me talking as an artist about Pooja: Destiny Awaits. That’s kind of cool—and a little daunting! With 50 hardcover copies ($25.00 each) in hand, I’m kicking off a library and book tour—starting here, dreaming big—and I need your help to sell 40-60 by March 20!
The Artist Talk Challenge
Sure, I’m comfy with college kids—design critiques, lectures, the works. But tomorrow’s meeting is about engaging 4-12-year-olds (and their parents!) for the Ruston reading. Pooja: Destiny Awaits is 58 pages—too long to read cover-to-cover in one go. So, how do I hook young kids on Pooja’s South Indian puppy adventure, keep them buzzing, and intrigue moms and dads to buy it? I teach 20-somethings—I’m not a pro with little ones! That’s the dilemma: crafting a talk that’s fun, short, and sells the book’s magic—kindness, curiosity, and animals galore.
Brainstorming Engagement
Here’s what I’m mulling:
Short Reading: Pick 2-3 key spreads—Pooja’s big rescue moment, maybe her South Indian flair—5-10 minutes tops.
Drawing Demo: Sketch Pooja live (I’m an illustrator, right?), let kids shout animal ideas—interactive chaos!
Activity Kit: Hand out free coloring pages (from my files)—kids color, parents peek at the $25 hardcover.
Q&A: “What’s your favorite animal?”—tie it to Pooja’s mission, spark chatter.
The goal? Keep kids glued, parents intrigued—enough to snag a copy from my 50 or the eBook ($7.99). X (@PoojaAdventures) is at 15 followers, buzzing—maybe they’ve got tips!
Library & Tour Dreams
This Ruston kickoff is step one. Monday’s meeting with Lincoln Parish’s librarian could get Pooja in circulation—5-10 copies sold or stocked! It builds on Sedona Library (pitched to Vivian—book dropped Mar 3), a Little Free Library win (gone instantly!), and Baltimore’s stocking. I’m dreaming of a Sedona-Phoenix tour (Pooja: El Destino Aguarda in Spanish, mid-March), maybe Shreve and Caddo next. Libraries are Pooja’s runway—each talk sells books, spreads her story. With The Omnibus Publishing shifting by April 30, I’m indie-bound—50 copies are my fuel!
Sell Pooja With Me
Let’s make this tour soar—50 hardcovers ($25.00 each) ready direct—email marla@latech.edu or grab the eBook ($7.99) at www.jamisonshults.com. Buy now at www.jamisonshults.com—50 won’t last! Got kid-engaging ideas? Drop them on X (@PoojaAdventures) or below—I need ’em!
Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok (@poojaadventures)—let’s hit 40-60 sales by March 20. Ruston’s tomorrow, the tour’s beginning—join Pooja’s flight!
Warmly,
Marla Emory
Illustrator of Pooja: Destiny Awaits
Professor, School of Design, Louisiana Tech University